And They Said Goodbye
by JustCallMeMarly
Summary: They've said goodbye numerous times before & were willing to let each other go… but not this time… Carly
1. Part I

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything except whatever is my own… Philosophical, ain't it? Anyways, General Hospital and that thereof (aka characters and excerpts from the show) belong to ABC and Disney and whoever else has a rightful claim in it all… But this IS my idea (based on the idea of the aforementioned, of course)… that is the one thing in this world that I claim…_**

**_Note: This is written as a post-ep for the goodbye between Jason (Steve Burton) & Carly (Tamara Braun) when Carly and Sonny were going to run for it from France. One of my all-time favorite scenes between Jason and Carly, no matter that Laura Wright is now my fave Carly... but I have my own twist on how it all turns out. _**

_They've said goodbye numerous times before & were willing to let each other go… but not this time…_

* * *

… And They Said Goodbye

_

* * *

_

_Why? Why was this happening?_

The words kept ringing through his head as he watched her finger the heavy parchment paper she held in her hesitant hands. It was a letter to her mother. A letter of goodbye. He took the letter from her and looked at it. Bobbie Spencer would have a tangible goodbye, something that she could look back on and know her daughter had loved her. All he had were his memories… and sometimes, that wasn't enough. He looked up at her as she started to talk. Actually, it was more a ramble. Something he understood completely. No, there was no letter for him… but she read him… his feelings. Just like she always did.

"It's kind of hard to figure out what to write… how to put my feelings down. How do you say thank you and goodbye? And now, you're standing here in front of me and I'm not sure what to say," she said, a mixture of emotions running across her face.

"You don't have to say anything," he told her.

"Ummm… you know that… how I feel, right? You know you've been everything… I know that you've been everything to me…" The rush of love he felt for her at her rambling caused her name to slip past his lips. And suddenly, his earlier, seemingly foolish action after he'd landed in Paris didn't seem so foolish.

"Carly… Carly… I understand. It's okay," he said reassuringly, looking her in the eye to let her know that he could read her just as well as she could him. "You know… that the first thing you ever gave me was a keychain… with my name on it." Her watery laugh caused him to go on. "And, uh, and later, I gave one to you. But we can't do that stuff now because it can be traced. So, um…" he stammered slightly as he reached into his pocket to pull out the object he had purchased simply on an unaccustomed, heartfelt whim. Looking at her, he noticed the laughter in her eyes as she pursed her lips and let out a slight, disbelieving laugh. "I got you this from the airport in Paris. I know it's tourist junk, and there are millions like it. So, just – you know – I want you to keep this…" He looked into her face and his eyes traced the puckered brow as she held back tears. He memorized every feature of her face so he could pull it from his memory should she walk away from him forever in the space of a few measly hours. "… to remember me by, okay?" The silver replica of the Eiffel Tower sat lovingly in her hands for a split second before she brought her hand up to wipe a tear from the curve of her lip.

"What am I going to do if you're not there to catch me when I fall?" she asked softly. His heart ached a little at her pleading question.

"I trust you. Now you need to trust yourself." His eyes pleaded with her to trust him, to believe his words – to know that she was strong. She was the strongest woman he knew… loved. The ache he'd had in his chest since he walked into the room intensified as her eyes became moist with unshed tears.

"What if I can't?" she asked. He watched her for a second, piecing together his words carefully. The promise he'd made to Sonny dispersed in his mind like a puff of smoke. He could never make the same promise to her. He could never leave her on her own, to depend on people other than him. _He_ was the _only_ person Jason trusted completely with her safety.

"Just call me. And I will come and get you, no matter what," he said seriously. This time, a tear slipped from the corner of her eye as something that sounded suspiciously like a plea to God escaped her lips before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. He closed his eyes and relished the feel of her in his arms. This woman – this pawn in a tug of war between two other men – had such a firm hold on his heart. No other woman had ever accomplished that before – not even Courtney. At this moment, all Jason wanted to do was to run away with her. Away from the destruction that was Sonny and the obsession that was Alcazar. He wanted to preserve her the way she was, because that's who he loved.

"Jase?" she asked as she pulled back from him. He kept his hands on her shoulders as he looked at her.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked, confused. She reached up, wiped a tear from her eye, and then laid one of her hands over his.

"For everything, you know. I've said it before on occasions that didn't warrant it, in situations that were desperate and to my advantage… but I'm saying it now so that you really understand that I mean it. I'm sorry for everything that happened… the kidnapping, Ferncliff, AJ, Robin, Elizabeth, the whole shebang… making you lie for me when you are the most honest person I have ever known…" she said, her shoulders dropping in remorse. Jason stooped down a little so that he could meet Carly's lowered eyes.

"Carly, you don't need to apologize. It's not like this is goodbye forever…" he said, refuting everything he ever said to Courtney and Sonny… and himself. Carly smiled.

"Yes it is, Jase. Sonny's in too much trouble… we have to leave. I'm not stupid or naïve enough to believe we could ever go back and not have to pay the price for it…" she said. Jason gritted his teeth mentally for a second. The grudge he'd held since the moment he'd walked through a certain door and seen a bullet in her head suddenly and unexpectedly made itself known.

"You don't have to do this, Carly. You don't have to go with him," Jason pointed out. Her eyes lowered to the floor, avoiding his serious gaze.

"I do, Jason. I owe him that much," she said. Jason reached down and tipped Carly's chin up so that she could see him.

"Carly, you don't owe him anything… you've paid for your mistakes back in spades, okay? Whatever you think you owe him, you don't. If you are leaving just because of that, then I won't hesitate in saying you're wrong. It isn't worth it, Carly. Leaving the people that love you behind, cutting off your children from the people that love them… What about Bobbie, Mike…" _Me_. "… everyone? This shouldn't just be about owing Sonny." Carly shook her head.

"You don't understand, Jason. I owe Sonny because he loves me so much… and I can't seem to love him back. If I can't do that," she said earnestly. "… then I can give him my loyalty - and his family." Jason reached down and took her hand.

"What if it never comes back, Carly? Are you willing to sacrifice it all for that?" he asked. Carly looked down again.

"But Jason…"

"No, Carly. No 'buts'… If the feelings never come back, you've resigned yourself to a criminal life on the run with a man that you can't love. Trust me, Carly. I know how boxed in it feels, and I know the anger, the resentment, and bitterness that come with it. Thankfully, I had someone to help me pull free of that and get on with my life. That was you, Carly," he paused meaningfully. "So trust your memories, Carly, if you can't trust your feelings. You know Sonny… you know that if it turns out that you can't feel anything for him, you know that Sonny will not live with that well. You know how he gets. _And_ you know how _you_ get. You also know what it's like to live in a constant mental war-zone, Carly… You did it with the Quartermaines and you did it, for a while, with Sonny. That's why it astounds me that you are willing to take that risk…" he pleaded.

Carly's eyes watched him thoughtfully. This was her usually silent, stoic best friend. He was laying his, and _her_, fears on the line. Telling her what was what. And at this point, there were three people in this world that she felt everything for… her mother, this man… and another man named Lorenzo Alcazar. The first one was a comfort that meant more than Carly could ever explain. Her mother was her rock, her support - the woman who had come to mean so much to Carly. The second, more surprisingly, was something she cherished, relished, and couldn't imagine her life without. And with all of this connection mess, the fact that her connection with him survived told her everything she needed to know. Jason was unconditional. He was forever. What kind of forever was still something she needed to sort out. And the third… well, it frightened her, honestly. Her feelings for a total stranger that had kidnapped her for his own ends surpassed her feelings for her own husband a hundred fold. It weirded her out beyond words.

"I don't know what risks I'm willing to take, Jase. All I know is that I'm married to a man that I _used_ to love and now he's accused of kidnapping and attempted murder. Isn't a wife supposed to be loyal? Isn't she supposed to be with her husband?" Carly asked, the confusion on her face turning to guilt when she started coming to her own conclusion at how she really felt. "God Jason! I'm giving up everything! I want to love Sonny! I do! It's just… God, I don't know. Like you said, I need to trust my memories… and Jason, a lot of my memories are unhappy ones…"

"Not all of them Carly," Jason said, trying in vain to remember the happy times they'd _all_ had. Carly smiled as she turned from him.

"No," she admitted. "Not all of them…"

"Carly, I'll help you any way I can," he said. She smiled again and faced him.

"I know, Jason. You always do…" She was about to say more when the suite door opened. In walked her husband. Carly looked over at him. He was waiting… for her to acknowledge him, for her to come to him. Carly looked away, questioning not only herself but the situation. And then she looked to the one person that always seemed to have the answers for her. And he was watching her, his light eyes holding only concern for her. This man really was her other half… why had she tried to deny it for so long? Why had they forced happiness upon each other with Sonny and Courtney when they could have found it together? Were they really t_hat_ afraid?

"Carly?" Sonny's voice inquired. She looked over her shoulder at where the two men now stood. One was loyal, supportive and trustworthy. The other one passionate, demanding and turbulent. Where Jason was practically an open book to her, her husband still remained a mystery in so many ways. One she loved with her entire being, only now remembering the connection. The other one, she wished she could love the way he did her… and remember the connection they once had. When her eyes met a pair the color of aged whiskey, she turned toward him.

"… you ready to go?"

_What did she do now?_

_

* * *

_

**A/N: I plan on a possible second & final chaper to this, but I'm not sure when that will be possible. Hopefully, soon...**


	2. Part II

**_AN: I know it's been a long while for this, I'm sorry. I just got inspired to finish it. So, here it is. The final chapter of this short piece… Enjoy!_**

* * *

…And They Said Good-Bye

* * *

Part II

_One year later_

Life simply wasn't the same. It hadn't been for the past 12 months. Jason Morgan stared at the other penthouse door. He never expected things to turn out this way. He never expected to feel as alone as he did now. With a shake of his head, he turned to the elevator and pushed the button. It was hard walking by the empty space every day that was once occupied by two of his best friends.

A beep at his hip alerted him to his phone. He climbed into the elevator and looked at the object now in his hand. It said that he'd missed a call from an unknown number. No message. With a mental shrug, Jason put the phone in his pocket. He had a few things to take care of at the warehouse and then he was going to go for a nice, long motorcycle ride.

"Hey, Boss?" one of the guards inquired as Jason stepped out of the elevator onto the ground floor.

"Yeah, Mitch?"

"I just wanted to let you know that the package you had earlier has been delivered," the guard informed him. Jason nodded before he headed out to the limo. He'd had a division of the profits for the past month sent to an anonymous account holder to deposit for Sonny and Carly. He may have said that they could never see each other again or have any contact with each other, but that didn't mean Jason was not going to pull all of the strings he could or use whatever power he had to make life as simple as possible for his friends… and those two little boys.

* * *

_Late that night..._

Jason walked back into the penthouse and dropped his jacket onto the desk chair. His eyes caught on the key that sat on a piece of paper at the edge of the desk. It had sat there for nearly two weeks now. The familiar feminine scrawl greeted him as it always did, reflecting the personality of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman who had left it.

He and Courtney had parted ways amicably. They had loved each other fiercely, and it had only been fed by the devotion that Carly had to both of them. Without her there, what they had dissipated just as fiercely into something that resembled friendship. The passion had gone, and Jason had been just as sad as she on the day they had realized it.

_"Jason?" Courtney's voice pulled his attention away from the object in his hand. He looked up from the keychain that he always carried on him._

"_What?" he asked. The blonde's eyes went to the piece of metal he held reverently. A small smile came over her face as she tucked her hands into her jeans pockets in nervous habit._

"_Can we talk?" she asked. When his eyes met hers, he knew what she was going to say._

"_Sure," Jason told her as he set the keychain down on the desk in front of him. He may have known what she was going to say, but he had just enough pride that he wanted her to be the one to bring it up. Courtney sat down on the couch and let her hands run nervously over her denim-covered knees._

"_Have you ever felt like something was slipping through your grasp and there was nothing you could do to stop it?" she asked. Jason closed his eyes. He'd felt like that once before… the only difference then had been he __**could **__have stopped it. He'd just been too late to realize it. Now, he could recognize the difference. Jason opened his eyes to meet her earnest ones._

"_Yes." Courtney gave him a small smile._

"_You feel it, too, don't you?" Jason nodded at her question. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the desk._

"_Is there someone else?" he asked softly, not accusing her of anything. Courtney's head shook, appreciating the distinction._

"_No, Jason. And I think that's what has made this seem so…" she struggled with the final word._

"_Right," he finished for her. She averted her eyes from his as she nodded sadly._

"_I'm so sorry," she said. He stood straight and approached her. When he kneeled in front her, Jason took her hands in his._

"_I'm sorry, too." Courtney squeezed his hands as she smiled._

"_What we had…" she started. Jason smiled._

"_Was great," he finished. "But it wasn't forever…" Her blonde head bobbed in agreement._

"_I thought it was," she told him. "I felt like it was…" He leaned up and placed a sweet kiss on her lips._

"_You deserve forever, Courtney. You deserve someone who can give you everything you want and need," he said. Her smile was beautiful. There was an ache in his heart that he would never be able to find another smile quite like that._

"_You deserve it, too, Jason. I regret that I couldn't be the one to give it to you. But," she said. "I think you've had forever all along." Jason frowned in confusion and Courtney chuckled slightly when she saw it. Her hand squeezed his again._

"_You know what I'm talking about, Jase. You don't need to spare my feelings by not acknowledging it. What I don't understand is how did you let her go?" Jason let go of her hands and quickly took the seat next to her. With a sigh, he let a hand run over his face._

"_It's not something I really feel like talking about," he said. Courtney took his hand in hers and let her head drop to his shoulder._

"_That's fine. But you'll at least need to think about it." Like he hadn't been already for years._

_They sat like that the rest of the night, relishing the other's presence, but also relishing the comfort in the shift of their relationship. Yet they mourned it all the same._

* * *

"Jase?" a whispered voice asked. Despite the early hour and despite the hushed tones, Jason would know her voice anywhere. She sounded hesitant, like she wasn't sure of the reception.

"Carly…" he said, sitting up and wiping the sleep from his eyes. "Are you okay? What's going on? It's not safe to call…"

"I tried calling you before. I know it's not safe, Jase. But I need your help," she said, her voice still hushed. Her tone was tired and he could hear the strain she was trying so hard to cover.

"Tell me where you are," he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. His best friend sighed.

"The boys and I are in London," she said. _London?_ Jason frowned.

"What about Sonny?" he asked. A slightly hysterical laugh came over the other end of the phone. But it was stifled just as quickly as it had slipped out.

"Sonny had other engagements," she said. Jason's frown deepened.

"Is he okay?"

"Oh, he's perfectly fine. He's in Spain…" she said.

"What…" he started to ask, but she continued.

"With Brenda." Nothing she could have said would have shocked him more. When he stayed silent, she let out another laugh. This time, it was full of bitterness. "I caught them together…"

Jason leaned over and let his forehead rest in his hand. The pain Carly had to be going through. He couldn't even imagine. And he wasn't there to hold her. No one was there to hold her.

"You were right, Jase. I should have trusted my instincts. I should have stayed in Port Charles. With you," she said. Jason stood and began rummaging through drawers to find clothes.

"Where are you, Carly? I'm coming to get you," he said.

"Crowne Plaza. Room 528. And don't think I'm going anywhere. Michael, Morgan and I are going to have a good time… order breakfast by room service… lay by the pool… Be lazier than we usually are," she said with a tight laugh. Jason could tell that she was trying so hard to hold herself together.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, Carly. Just stay there, okay? I'll have the jet off the ground in a matter of minutes," he said. He could almost hear the smile that crossed her face.

"I love you, Jason," she said. He closed his eyes as feelings he thought he'd suppressed came rushing back. The Carly-shaped hole in his heart was starting to disappear.

"I love you too, Carly. Call me if you need anything," he told her.

"Don't worry. I will. See you later." The call disconnected.

It took him only minutes to gather what he needed for a trans-Atlantic trip. _Goddamn you, Sonny!_ Jason mentally cursed his former mentor. How could a man run off on the woman that had given up everything for him? A man who had literally _killed_ in his possessiveness over her?

Running a hand over his face, Jason couldn't help but think over the ramifications of what he was going to need to do. Sonny was still the figurehead of the Corinthos-Morgan organization. But with him on the run and literally playing roulette with his life and those he was supposed to protect, Sonny would have to make a major decision. And Jason was going to make him choose, once and for all. He would not have Carly, Michael or Morgan pulled into anything that could get them hurt or killed due to Sonny's lack of consistency.

Jason had let Sonny have his chance. He'd let him have multiple chances. But hearing Carly's voice over the phone asking for his help… It was the last chance Sonny would _ever_ have again… He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Max…"

* * *

_London, England_

The knock on the door surprised Carly from the trance that had seemed to overcome her. Michael was quietly keeping Morgan occupied in the adjoining room, for which his mother was extremely grateful. When she stood, Carly took note of the time. It was nearly eight o'clock in the evening.

"Carly?" the voice on the other side of the door inquired. Her eyes went wide and she immediately began throwing the locks on the door open. A small whimper escaped her before she opened the door and immediately threw herself into the arms of the man who never let her down.

"Jase…" she whispered into his shoulder. His arms held her close as he walked the two of them back into the room and closed the door to give themselves privacy from curious patrons. No words were said for many minutes as the two clung to each other. It had been over a year since they'd been able to do that. After a while, the two stepped back enough to look at each other. Keeping one hand firm on her waist, Jason brought his other hand up to brush her blond locks behind her ear. She had changed so much, yet so little. Her hair was blonder, no doubt from days in the sun. It would also explain the smattering of freckles that seemed more pronounced. But her eyes… her eyes were what had changed the most. The vivacity he'd always seen in them, even after her shooting, was dimmed to the point of almost not being there.

"You were so right, Jason," she said, leaning her cheek against the leather of his coat. "You're always right. There was no reason for me to hand a year of my life over to a man that I could not connect to." Jason brought up a hand to run over the back of her head. Carly smiled. It was always what he did. She never knew she could relish predictability so much. After a year of running, maneuvering and subterfuge, it was a relief to be somewhere she knew. And that was in his arms.

"You don't remember, still?" he asked, concerned. He could feel her smile against him.

"I remember everything, Jason. I remember that there really had never _been_ a connection between me and Sonny," she said, finally releasing him and stepping back. He stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. Carly went to sit on the edge of the bed.

"What Sonny and I had was passion. That was it. There was no connection. And now, even after that passion, we can't even be friends. It was never meant to be," she said, looking down at her clenched hands.

"Then why did you stay with him?" he had to know. Carly closed her eyes.

"Because of my boys. They love him. And because of _you_," she said, her voice hoarse with emotion. Jason frowned as he knelt down in front of her.

"Me?" he asked. He could understand the boys. But him? Carly reached out for his hand, and he let her take it.

"Because I couldn't let _you_ go. I've thought long and hard about this, Jason. And the truth of it is that I can't live my life without you in it," her grip became painfully hard, as if he were going to walk away. "When it came down to it, Jason, being with Sonny meant I could have you. If it came down to a choice between Sonny and me, I knew I would be second. And I know I couldn't argue with it because Sonny saved you. He made you who you are. I understand that. I understand that loyalty. Because that's what you are to me."

Never before had Jason been at a complete loss for words. Carly took a deep breath.

"I know that we haven't seen or talked to each other in nearly a year. I know that it may not make sense what I just said because of that… But I honestly thought Sonny could take care of this. I thought he could fix it and we could all go home. But he never wanted to. Or so it seemed. It was more that he _couldn't_ do it. He doesn't know how to fix it. That is why you are so valuable to his organization, Jason. Sonny knows how to threaten, he knows how to be demanding, he knows how to shoot a gun and he even knows a little bit about strategy… but when it comes down to it, you are the one that does everything else. So, when we were cut off from you, nothing happened. He promised, but nothing ever happened. Michael, Morgan and I? We were stuck. And Sonny got bored," she said. Jason felt his anger returning.

"Where did you leave him?" he asked. Carly let out a resigned sigh.

"Seville."

"Why Seville?" Jason asked. Carly let out a bark of a laugh.

"Because Brenda has an apartment there. Of course, I didn't know that at the time," she said.

"How did he find Brenda?" Jason frowned. Carly shrugged.

"While we were on the French beaches, he kept taking calls. I wasn't sure whom he would be talking to since we weren't supposed to be talking to anyone… but now that I think about it, it was probably Robin. I'm sure that's how he found Brenda," she said. Bringing up names from the past weren't easy for her. Especially since Robin had been the end of her implicit, unconscious trust in Jason and Brenda had been the end of… _everything_… with Sonny.

"You followed him, didn't you?" Jason asked. Carly nodded.

"We'd been sleeping in separate rooms. Things hadn't been okay in many months. It was better for the boys and me to just have our own space. But I heard him talking a couple of days ago and said he'd meet the other person at a spot in downtown Seville. I couldn't help but think that the only person he'd willingly meet would be you… so I followed," she swallowed hard.

Jason nodded. It made some sort of twisted sense to him. And when she looked up at him with watery, suffering eyes, the resolve he hadn't _really _questioned before solidified even more.

_

* * *

_

Seville, Spain

It was a quiet area. Expensive. But it was the quiet that struck him more than anything.

Jason stood outside the veranda to Brenda Barrett's plush Spanish penthouse. The overabundance of flowers that framed the balcony was supposed to be calming, but all they did was serve to stoke Jason's anger even more.

Sonny Corinthos sat in this place, day after day, never once giving thought to the family that he'd left behind. Carly had told Jason that she hadn't contacted Sonny once since she and the boys departed the Spanish coasts. Jason leaned back against the stone railing and took out his phone. He dialed a number he was not supposed to know to a phone that the other man wasn't supposed to have.

"Hello?" a wary female voice came over the line. Jason refused to acknowledge Brenda's greeting.

"Put Sonny on," he said, interjecting all the coldness he could into it.

"What?" Sonny's voice greeted.

"What are you doing, Sonny?" he asked. There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Jason?" the other man asked.

"Forget the sound of my voice already?" There was another pause before Sonny responded.

"What are you doing calling me, man? You know we shouldn't be talking," he told him.

"I suggest you bring this conversation out away from other ears, Sonny," Jason suggested.

"Fine…" It took only a few moments before Sonny's form stood at the veranda doors and opened them. He couldn't see Jason as he closed the doors behind him, but stopped mid-step when he saw his number one man standing off to the side in the shadows.

Jason turned off his phone, seeing no need for the pretense of the call. Sonny did the same.

"What are you doing here, Jason?" Sonny asked. Jason's face remained impassive.

"The same question to _you_, Sonny. Where's Carly?" he asked. Sonny shifted on his feet.

"Apparently you already know," Sonny said. Jason crossed his arms and gave his friend a smirk.

"At least you're not stupid enough to lie to me," he said. Sonny let out a breath as he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. He looked every bit the mobster when he did that. It was something that Jason always marveled at in his years by the man's side. But no more.

"I should have known that day in France," Sonny said, looking at the ground. "I should have known just watching the two of you together that it never would have worked. Those tears… that look on her face before we left… Not even when we were happy did I ever inspire those. But she chose me…" Jason nodded.

"She chose you. For a _year_, she chose you and gave up everything she'd ever known and trusted in. For you. And this is how you repay her." Sonny knew he could never argue the point with Jason. For all the loyalty the man had to him, it was Jason's love for Carly that would always reign first.

"What did you expect, Jason?" the mob boss asked, almost helplessly. For what was probably the first time in his life, Jason actually pitied the other man. For all his ambition, power and money, Sonny Corinthos was truly a slave to his own insecurities. It certainly wasn't _Sonny's_ fault that Carly had for all intents and purposes left him over a year ago. And what was Sonny to do but take advantage of what was presented to him, no matter who got ran over in the process.

"I expected better of my best friend," Jason said on a heavy breath. This really was the end. "I'm taking Carly and the boys back home. The rest of us have set up alibis for them over the year so they can't take any of the heat for what went down."

Sonny nodded. It only served to stoke Jason's anger once more. The man was so far gone that he couldn't even strike up an ounce of pain at the thought of his wife and children not being with hi. Jason stepped closer to the other man so he could look down at him.

"_You_ will stay gone." Jason's voice was firm and commanding, implicitly telling Sonny the way things were now. The other man bristled.

"They're still my family, Jason! Port Charles is still my home," he gritted out. Jason shook his head. The first part had been for show. The second part had been all business. Sometimes, Sonny seemed to forget that Jason was known for his ability to sense the truth from a lie... It only served to expose even more how much the Morgan-Corinthos relationship had deteriorated.

"You will stay gone, do you understand me?" Jason asked again. Sonny's eyes darkened even more.

"You can't keep me out of Port Charles," he hissed. Jason smirked.

"Watch me."

"Port Charles is _my_ town!" Sonny yelled, striking a hand against his chest to emphasize his statement. Jason shook his head.

"_Was_ your town. Look at where you are. Who do you think has been running everything for you, Sonny? Again. Who do you think everyone trusts to make the big decisions? You? Not quite. Not when you're on the run from kidnapping charges. Not when you're a _fugitive_…" Jason told him. Sonny seethed.

"You've betrayed me," he gritted out. Jason shrugged.

"You betrayed me first, _brother_," he stated. "I only learned from the best. I suggest you take Brenda and find some secluded area of your own. If the business is what you need, start over. Because what was yours is now mine. Maybe we'll meet again. If you're good enough…"

"You… you are _dead_," Sonny called after him in finality as Jason walked into the shadows.

"Not if you are first," he called over his shoulder before disappearing.

* * *

It had been a long plane ride back to the States. But there was a collective sigh of relief among the passengers as they stepped onto the tarmac. Carly held Michael's hand tight in her own as Jason carried a sleeping Morgan. Awaiting them at the gate were Bobbie and Luke.

"Carly!" her mother cried as she rushed forward to take her oldest child in her arms. The redhead sobbed into her daughter's shoulders as they embraced.

"I'm home, Momma," Carly whispered to her. Bobbie nodded, wiping the torrent of tears away.

"And you always will be," she said as she stepped back. With a loving hand, she framed Carly's face and just looked at her. A year of forced separation – that's all Bobbie would _ever_ acknowledge it as – had been too much to bear.

Carly's eyes met her uncle's over her mother's shoulder and they nodded to each other. It was all that was needed between the two

"Carly?" Bobbie asked. Carly's attention was back on her mother. "How about I take the boys to my place. It's late. They could use a good sleep in a familiar bed. I know you and Jason will want to talk alone. And this way, I can spend some time with my grandsons that I haven't seen in a year." Carly's eyes watered.

"Momma… about that," she said. "I was so stupid. I don't know what I was thinking…" Bobbie smiled as she laid a finger over her daughter's lips.

"Hush. Not one word about that. You did what you thought was right for you and your sons. I cannot fault that, not even in the slightest. I love you, I will always love you, and you're home now, where you belong. That is all that matters," she said. Carly nodded as she reached up to wipe the tears that had escaped. Her mother's depth of forgiveness never ceased to amaze her.

"I love you, Momma," she told the redhead. Bobbie grinned and nodded.

"And that's as it should be," she joked. Then she nodded to an impatient looking Jason. "Now, I think there are some conversations to be had, young lady." Carly smiled before she hugged Bobbie one more time.

"I'll be by tomorrow," she said.

"I expect it," Bobbie told her. Carly waved to Michael as Bobbie went to take his hand and blew a kiss to a sleeping Morgan being carried away by Luke. As she turned, Jason was there next to her.

"Don't feel guilty, Carly," he said, taking her hand in his. She sighed.

"They missed a year with the people that loved them the most," she lamented. "Sonny loves them, I can't deny that. But you know how he is. When push comes to shove, it has always been Sonny's feelings above all else." The two walked to the awaiting limo to take them back to the penthouse. To take them back _home_. Jason took a deep breath as he entwined his fingers with hers.

"You need to know, Carly, that Sonny has been very vocal over the past couple of days. He's had his lawyers jumping through hoops to get the charges dropped. I expected him to fight, but I never expected him to fight this soon and this hard," he told her. Carly just nodded as she settled into the seat next to him.

"He lost, Jason. He's not in prison or anything and he still has his freedom, but he still lost. And he lost to you, the person he always expected to have under his thumb in one way or another. He's not going to be quiet about it," she said. Jason put an arm around her and pulled her to his side.

"I'm not worried." Even _his_ confidence couldn't quite seep into her. She reached up and gripped the edge of his jacket in worry as she let her head rest on his shoulder.

"Sonny could ruin everything again, Jason. He can get so out of control. I'm afraid of that happening and who is going to get caught in it," she said, before letting her hand drop down to rest on his thigh.

"I knew what I was doing when I went to Sonny, Carly. I know what I'm doing now. Sonny won't come after me, because deep down he doesn't have the guts. The business was all he knew, so he never made the move to leave it, no matter what came into his life. But I forced his hand. The business is mine. Now that he's out, he won't come jumping back in. Not when he has a chance on the outside. And certainly not with Brenda," he said confidently. Then he reached down and tipped her face up to his. "But if he wants it back, he can have it. I don't need it. If he wants to try to start a fight then it will be a lopsided one. I can walk away."

Carly laughed as she pulled him into a hug.

"Oh, Jason. I don't know why you would ever give it up in the first place. It's in you. You do need it…" she said with a smile. When she looked at him, it was a look of love and acceptance. She would never ask for him to leave. Not even for all the danger in the world. Even with the ominous threat of an all out war with the former mob lord of Port Charles, New York – because he knew Sonny to be stubborn - hanging over their lives, nothing could dim the hope he had now. Not when she looked at him like that.

"You and me, Carly. You, the boys, and me. That's all we'll ever need. I promise," he told her. Carly's gaze roamed over his face, gauging his seriousness. When it seemed she didn't believe him, Jason gently ran a hand over her cheek and leaned down to kiss her.

She gasped when their lips met. It had been years since they'd embraced in anything more than friendship, and it startled both of them to feel that spark of something more roar back into life. Years of hardships, years of suppression, years of pain and denial and simple friendship… it all went away with a kiss that expressed more than all of that. The connection was more than just a years-long friendship. It was a connection of souls and neither could deny it any more.

When they parted, Carly's eyes were wet with unshed tears. Her hand came up and tenderly ran over his cheek, mirroring his gesture from moments before.

"No more good-byes?" His blue eyes were stormy with emotion and she loved it. She could feel that rush she always got when she was around Jason beginning to take over her body. He gave her a quick, passionate kiss before he answered.

"No more good-byes. Ever again."

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The End

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A/N: Hopefully a simple, straightforward, no ulterior motives sort of ending. I just wanted Jason and Carly to have limo ride into their version of the sunset! I'll perhaps come back & do minor re-writes to this sometime in the future, but right now, I'm satisfied… LOL.


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